


Breaking News

by shortcake15



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- Newscaster, M/M, News Media, News anchors, Newscasters, TV News, Television Watching, Televison News, Yes you read that right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-24 16:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13815168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortcake15/pseuds/shortcake15
Summary: Revali works for the small Tabantha News, with his co-anchor Teba. But the competition- most notably in the form of Link from the Hyrule News Network (HNN), and Sidon from The Lanayru Update -is stiff, and television news isn’t quite doing so well, anyway- so the company ends up being bought out.This wouldn’t be such a big deal- if the buyer wasn’t HNN itself.And if Revali didn’t end up being stuck as Link’s co-anchor on the morning news.At least they still have one common rival in Sidon, right?...the newscaster/news anchor AU that nobody asked for!





	1. in which a station is bought out

**Author's Note:**

> A random conversation with a friend of mine resulted in us imagining the plot of Breath of the Wild as told by in-world media (if it existed). That idea was slowly narrowed down...into this- a newscaster Revalink au! Hope you enjoy it ;)
> 
> I have to admit, I’m not a newscaster myself, so some parts of this will probably be a bit unrealistic (let’s just hope it doesn’t get too much so!)

     “And it looks like it’ll be a cold one, with snow all across Lanayru, so be sure to bundle up!” Sidon said with his trademark grin.

     Oh, how Revali (and the rest of Tabantha News’ staff) _loathed_ that smile.

     “Yes, please _do_ be careful. We’re also hearing of an increase in crime at night lately. Here’s Kilton to tell you more.”

     “Thank you, Mipha-”

     Revali couldn’t change channels fast enough.

     “-and what is this robot you’re developing called, Robbie?”

     “Thank you for asking, _nobody_ asks about Cherry…well, I call her the ‘ancient oven’ because she’s made for cooking, but always takes forever to do it!”

     “Sounds like you still have a way to go, but keep at it!”

     Of course. The only other thing on at this time of day was even more annoying: Hyrule News Network, and everyone’s _favorite_  reporter, _Link._

     Ever since his story about the true life of Princess Zelda and the pressure her father had put her under (Hyrule had a constitutional monarchy now, but the royal family was still popular) had gone viral, he’d been praised constantly.

      _He’s not afraid to be brutally honest, even about the king,_ they said, _and every question and explanation of his is straight to the point._

     Why did Tabantha News never get any praise like that?

     HNN’s Link and The Lanayru Update’s Sidon had been the subjects of many online ‘debates’ (popularity contests, really) recently- which Revali preferred to stay _miles_ away from, thank you very much.

     To be honest, the two of them were probably most of the reason why both broadcasts had far greater numbers of viewers compared to his.

     Revali absolutely did _not_ waste the rest of his break watching the interview, and it _definitely_ wasn’t because Link was hosting it.

     When his co-anchor, Teba, walked into the room- raising an eyebrow when he saw the TV turned to a rival broadcast -he had to struggle to find an excuse.

     “I’m…you know…interested in technology…”

     “Says the guy who still can’t get his computer running!”

     “ _For your information_ , the manual for it is written _only_ in Sheikah runes, it’s _impossible_ to understand!”

     “I thought you took classes on ancient languages in college.”

     “That was in _high school,_ if you _must_ bring it up, and it’s _not important._ ”

     “If you say so…”

* * *

     “Quarterly reports are in, and things are bad.” the evening news director, Harth, announced at their staff meeting.

     “You said that last quarter, too. And the quarter before that, come to think of it. I mean, it is kind of expected, since everyone gets news online these days…”

     “Yes, but I _really_ mean it now. The boss is actually thinking about putting the company up for sale. And apparently he’s already got a few offers.”

     “Wait, _what_? _Kaneli_ wants to _sell_? Does this mean-”

     “Nothing’s guaranteed, but if we don’t have an _amazing_ next quarter, we might be shut down.”

     “ _Amazing_ doesn’t _mean_ anything, give us _numbers_ , Harth!” a worried Saki (usually their cheerful weather forecaster) demanded.

     “...I would say…for the ads to give us enough to justify staying open…we would need…about 175% of our current viewership.”

     “What the _hell_? That’s _impossible_ , even if by some miracle, we get a huge, exclusive story, which we _won’t_! You _know_ that!”

     Harth just shook his head, and with that depressing thought, they were left to prepare for the next evening news

     “Hey, Teba?” Revali piped up as they were looking over their scripts.

     “What?”

     “If we end up being shut down…good luck.”

     “...likewise.”

* * *

     They didn’t even last a week until Harth was addressing them all again.

     “Well, it looks like we’ve been bought out.”

     “This soon?”

     “Apparently.”

     “By _who?_ ”

     “You’re not going to like this…”

     “Just _tell us_ already!”

     “...Hyrule News Network.”

     There was a collective gasp, followed by murmurs of astonishment. “You-you’ve got to be joking…right?”

     “I wish I was. I’ve got the documents right here.”

     “They-they _are_ signed by Kaneli, and he even did that squiggle thing after the i...it _looks_ legitimate…”

     “But _why_ would _HNN_ buy _us?_ They mostly focus on news in Central Hyrule, and we’re all the way out in _Tabantha_ …”

     “Well, we _were_ one of their competitors, no matter how small.”

     “Here’s the thing-and you’ll like this even less- though most of us will stay here, giving HNN a foothold in the northwest…certain others will be sent to their headquarters in Castle Town.”

     “Certain others being…?”

     “...Amali, Kass, Misa, and Revali.”

     “ _Me?!_ ”

     “Yes, _you_ , Revali, I said your name, didn’t I?”

     “B-but it’s always been _‘Teba and Revali, here with your evening sports report, let’s see if the winds of fortune are on your favorite team’s side today-_ ”

     “Teba can do that on his own.”

     “ _What_ -”

     “You always made way too many bird and flight puns, anyway.”

     “I _resent_ that statement, birds are _amazing_ -”

     “Call us every once in a while, and have a good time in Castle Town.”

* * *

 

     So, his very last Tabantha Sports Report was filled with a _permeating_ air of gloom.

     “...and the Lanayru Sharks defeated the Hebra Falcons earlier today…after an incredible shot by their center, Bazz-”

     Teba shut off the teleprompter.

     “Oh, _come on_ , now we’re going to have to do that all again, and we don’t have any _time_ -”

     “I’ve never heard anyone say ‘incredible shot’ that sadly before! If you’re talking about _basketball_ , do it _right_ , with _energy_ …”

     “Energy like yours, of the most boring and serious kind? I’ve always been more of a baseball person, anyway…”

     “Look, I _know_ you’re upset about the move, but at least you’ll be able to work in _Castle Town!_ I would want to go there too if it wasn’t for Saki and the kids…Kass, Amali, and Misa will be with you, and you’ll meet the entire HNN staff- they’re famous, Link and Paya and Dorian and Riju and all the others…people even say the princess visits every so often-”

     “Do you think I care about them?”

     “I think you _could_!”

     “Well, if you say so…”  



	2. in which two rivals meet

     “Good morning, Link.”

     “...good morning, sir, but why did you call me in?”

     “Look, I’m going to be honest with you. Our morning news program has next to no viewers.”

     “...okay?”

     “With your popularity- just look online, it’s obvious!- you would be the perfect fit for getting that count back up.”

     “But I-I _like_ reporting, you know! Unlike a lot of the others on the team! And I definitely don’t want to have to get up earlier than I do already…”

     4:30 was bad _enough!_

     “We’ve got some new people coming from Tabantha News, so you won’t have to do it alone. And…as for any inconveniences, we can compensate you accordingly…”

     “I’ll take it.”

     Link felt pathetic giving in so easily, but hey- he needed to save up for a new TV, and a better salary could help with that…

* * *

 

     Revali’s first day in HNN was not what he’d expected. The first thing he saw when he went inside was the evening anchors, making revisions to a script about Eldin-style curry and dwindling ostrich numbers. _Curry_ and _ostriches!_ _That_ was what they called _news_ around here?

     He only recognized one of the people he passed, and out of everyone, it _had_ to be _Link_. And, of course, wondering what story Link was out to cover, he got lost in the halls.

     By the time he got to the meeting, it was five minutes too late.

     “We need somebody to handle the early news after Hestu quit “to pursue his music and dance career”, so- _oh_ , look who just came in. And you are…?”

     “Revali, just transferred from Tabantha.”

     “Well, Revali, looks like you just volunteered for the morning special.”

     “...are you _seri_ -”

     “I’ll see you at 4 AM tomorrow. Now, for those on the evening show, I’ve told the curry competition’s organizers that we would focus on it, but make sure you don’t waste too much time on it and forget about the regular traffic updates…”

* * *

 

      _On time_ was too late for your first day, so Revali walked into the station at 3:45 exactly.

     Well, he was physically there. Mentally? That was a completely different question.

     “Revali, right? The director’s waiting for you in the print room. Take a left, and it’s three doors down.” the receptionist said cheerfully.

     He didn’t understand how _anyone_ could be in such a good mood this early.

     The print room door was already open, so he went inside, to find the director already talking to-

     “What in the _world_ are _you_ doing here? I thought you were a _reporter_!”

     Not very eloquent, but it got the point across.

     “I’m picking up today’s script, and you should too.”

     “That’s not what I meant-”

     “Link will be joining you on the morning news.”

     “...I was under the impression that I would be hosting it alone…” The _only_ upside to it.

     “Well, we’ve decided that it would be best to have two people sharing the job. Unless you don’t think you can do it.”

     “No, no, I can…” _What was the director’s name…?_ “...I can, sir.”

      _I can, EVEN if it has to be with LINK…_

     “Ohoho, I look forward to seeing your first production then!” And with that, he left.

     Revali refused to rely on a (former?) rival to answer his questions, so he pulled out his phone and Googled _hyrule news director._

     Nothing that showed up had any relevance.

     “...he doesn’t tell anyone his name, we all just call him ‘the old man’ when he isn’t around…”

     “Looking at someone’s phone over their shoulder is _rude_ , you know.”

     “Looking up something that you could just ask the person next to you is _stupid_ , you know.”

     And so, the first battle ended in a tie.

* * *

 

     Link didn’t say another word to him for another 2 hours, 43 minutes- the start of the 6:30 broadcast.

     “Good morning, Hyrule, this is Link, with your morning news. To start us off, here’s Revali with today’s weather.”

     “...”

     “...Revali?”

     “...”

     He was…surprised that Link remembered his name.

     …had the director even said it once?

     “Yes, er…today’s going to be cold. Very cold for March. If we’re lucky, it’ll reach a high of 3 degrees [Celsius], but most likely it’ll be in the negatives. Tomorrow’s also going to be freezing, I recommend a thick scarf and jacket…if you even want to go outside at all…”

     “Well, that’s not very uplifting...”

     “Hey, it’s the truth.”

     “I guess so…on the bright side, there’s no snow blocking the roads, right?”

     “15% chance, stranger things have happened…”

     “Can you be positive about _anything_?”

     “The sky is only _partly_ cloudy.”

     “ _That’s_ more like it. Now, more importantly-”

     “There was an attack last night, and authorities suspect Yiga Clan involvement.”

     “Not quite what I was thinking of, but…”

* * *

 

     “What is _wrong_ with you today?”

     “Lack of sleep, mostly.”

     “ _Lack of sleep_ doesn’t justify that level of pessimism _while on the air!_ And you didn’t follow the script!”

     “Oh, like anyone besides your crazy fans are watching, anyway. I just made you look better in front of them.”

     “I’ll ask you again, _what‘s wrong?_ ”

     “I don’t know,” he lied, because he definitely did.

      ~~He was overcompensating for the Link positivity and charm that those _crazy fans_ couldn’t get enough of.~~

     At that moment, the director burst into the room. “That-that was even better than I thought it would be!”

     “Wait, did you watch the same thing we hosted? In which Revali was _so, so, annoying-_ ”

     “-and Link tried to make things _far too upbeat?_ ”

     “Yes, and it was that conflict that made it funny!”

     It seemed like most of their viewers agreed.

 _After three years of charming television viewers (take a look at our_ __ **list of his 18 most memorable stories** ), “legendary” reporter Link has been moved to the morning news.  
     Many fans- a far greater amount than is usual for the channel- tuned in for his first broadcast- and found themselves pleasantly surprised- not just by Link, but also by his co-anchor.  
     Little is known about Revali, other than the fact that he worked with the Tabantha News before it was bought by HNN. But, as one viewer tweeted, “they couldn’t have picked a more entertaining counterpart.”  
     “So relatable,” another posted (including a GIF- a _GIF, really?-_ of Link’s “can you be positive about _anything”_ and Revali’s “the sky is only _partly_ cloudy”)  
_Link’s switch from reporting to anchoring was quite unexpected, and the announcement caused a bit of an uproar at first, but it looks like fans are coming around to the idea._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Revali is not only overwhelmed (and he snaps at people when he’s overwhelmed), but doesn’t realize that he’s on the show just as an accessory to Link, who’s only there to get the view count up.


	3. in which a truce is reached

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve edited parts of this chapter and deleted following chapters in order to rework and improve this story! Though some sections may remain, a lot (most notably, Zelda) will change, hopefully for the better!

     Revali would never admit it out loud, but he had delayed sleeping (yet again) in favor of watching what the article deemed Link’s “18 most memorable stories”.

     Some of them were ridiculous (the second was a study into mating displays of Tabanthan birds, it was just…asinine), and some were totally overrated (everyone _always_ talked about the twelfth, his interviews with the king and princess- it wasn’t anywhere near as interesting as they made it sound), but the others were…actually decent.

      ~~More than decent, to be honest…~~

     The seventh left his head spinning from the sheer amount of Yiga Clan facts packed in twenty minutes, but that was a good thing…

     The ninth actually made him care about endangered flowers and frogs…

     The sudden twist in the fifteenth was obvious from the title, but it surprised him anyway…

     And then there was the seventeenth.

     "Oh, _come on_ , you have got to be _kidding_ me,” he found himself whining after what felt like at _least_ 100 reloads resulted in only a black screen.

     The article was only a little over three months old, and the link to the video had presumably worked then, so _why_ was it refusing to work now-

     - and _why_ exactly was he getting so upset over _one story_ , especially one of _Link’s?_

     Before he could find an answer, a ridiculously loud alarm interrupted him.

     The 2:30 alarm, which was _supposed_ to tell him to wake up so he could be at the station by 4.

     “...shit.”

     Let’s just say his lack of sleep didn’t get any better on his second day at HHN, either.

* * *

     “Look, I don’t want anything like yesterday to happen again, so…how about a truce?”

     “A _truce_?”

     “We’re not competing with each other. The rival is _The Lanayru Update_ , okay?”

     “Sidon deserves to be upstaged, I’ll agree on that.”

     “Be _positive_ and _follow the script_ then.”

     “Fine. I will _try_ to mention potential positive situations _before_ negative ones, though I make _no_ guarantees, and I won’t stray _too_ far from the script…most of the time.”

     “ _Not_ good enough.”

     “...that’s what she s-”

     “ _Shut up._ ”

     “So, is that an agreement to the truce conditions-”

     “Forget that I ever brought up the _idea_ of a truce with _you_.”

     “Looks like a no then…what a _shame_ …”

     “...on second thought, I’m _not_ looking to get in a fight with you on live television, so _all right._ ”

     “...good.”

* * *

 

     Truce or no truce, the 6:30 news was still painful.

     “So, it’s cold again today, right?”

     “I believe _freezing_ would be a better term...”

     Link shot him a glare, as if to say _that wasn’t in the script_.

     “Er-” he paused, reading the teleprompter “-right, it snowed last night. Be careful if you’re driving, the streets will probably be icy…”

     “Not as icy as your heart, though.”

     “What in the _world_ is _that_ supposed to mean?”

     “Just that you need to warm up a little.”

     “I’m _sorry_ , but the _precious_ script we created for this morning _didn’t_ include any forecasts of hot weather.” Revali replied, voice dripping with the sarcasm he knew Link _hated_. “I _suppose_ I _could_ take a vacation to southeast Necluda…or Goron City, I hear its proximity to an active volcano makes it quite warm…” 

     “...ugh, forget it. Though sending you far away from here _would_ be a good thing.”

     “Well then, I’ll be sure to plan my next trip soon. Now, where were we…”

* * *

 

     Apparently he had made a second mistake, because the second the cameras turned off, Link was glaring at him again. “I _can’t_ believe I’m saying this _again_ , but _what were you thinking_?”

     “ _Excuse_ me? _I_ was trying to get back on script. _You_ were the one who interrupted that,” Revali was all too happy to point out.

     “Shut up and take that vacation you wanted.” 

     “Don’t blame _me_ for something _you_ started!”

     “It was a _joke_ , I wasn’t trying to get you to go on about beaches and volcanoes.”

     “ _But_ you did.”

     “ _Unfortunately_...well, maybe it wasn’t _completely_ bad. There were a few good parts.” Link finally admitted, to Revali’s surprise.

     “Yes, it was...rather fun, wasn’t it.”

     It seemed that the truce was living on.

* * *

 

     Their third day of morning news started _markedly_ better than the first two.  
     There was no argument in the print room, or while editing the scripts.

     That is, until the director burst in, half an hour before the show was to start.

     “How much do you know about silent princesses?”

     “Ask _him,”_ Revalisaid without thinking,pointing to Link, _“_ he did a story about them.”

     “ _You’ve_ watched my-”

     He was _so lucky_  that the director interrupted.

     “Good, good, I’m glad both of you have some familiarity with them - because a field full of them just burnt down.”

     “An _entire_ -”

     “Nobody’s quite sure what happened, but it seems unlikely that a fire would spread naturally after so much snow.”

     “I assume you want us to add this in?” Revali asked after the director didn’t elaborate.

     “Along with a little bit about the flowers.”

     “...alright…”

     “Well, I can’t wait to see it then.”

* * *

 

     To Revali’s dismay, as soon as the director left, the first words out of either of them were “ _You’ve_ watched my stories?”

     “The only story that matters now is about a burning field.”

     “If you say so…and isn’t it _burnt_ , not _burning_ , it already happened-”

     “Can we _just_ get _back_ to _work_?”

     Judging by the look of surprise it got, _maybe_  Revali’s tone had been a _bit_ too harsh- he didn’t care.

     “Okay, okay…I think we can shorten the story about legendary creatures, it’s not important, and that should give us enough time.” Link decided.

     “But I _wanted_ to talk about the different types of Taluses.”

     “... _really_?”

     “Of course not.”

     “I never _can_ tell when you’re being sarcastic…”

     “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out…eventually.”

     “There! Right there! You don’t mean that, you’re actually internally laughing at me…”

     “...wrong again.” 

     “ _Wrong?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s only their third day, and they’ve already given up on professionalism entirely.  
> If this was the real world, they would definitely be fired as anchors ;)


End file.
